MENDON -- Village officials are following through with a plan to raise monthly sewer charges by $3 to keep the wastewater department financially afloat.

Mendon Village Council members meeting this week passed first reading of an ordinance approving the rate increase, which likely would take effect in September based on council's current course. The $3 hike -- which will be charged as a monthly user fee -- is the first increase in wastewater rates in 14 years. Residential customers now pay $7.89 per month for sewer service plus an additional $13.11 to apply toward debt on the sewer system. The extra $3 will be bring total monthly sewage costs for residential customers to $24. The additional fee is expected to generate $10,476 annually, enough to meet personnel costs, which are split with other departments. Council members plan to also consider smaller, inflationary increases in the coming years to avoid a steep increase every few years. MENDON -- Village officials are following through with a plan to raise monthly sewer charges by $3 to keep the wastewater department financially afloat. Mendon Village Council members meeting this week passed first reading of an ordinance approving the rate increase, which likely would take effect in September based on council's current course. The $3 hike -- which will be charged as a monthly user fee -- is the first increase in wastewater rates in 14 years. Residential customers now pay $7.89 per month for sewer service plus an additional $13.11 to apply toward debt on the sewer system. The extra $3 will be bring total monthly sewage costs for residential customers to $24. The additional fee is expected to generate $10,476 annually, enough to meet personnel costs, which are split with other departments. Council members plan to also consider smaller, inflationary increases in the coming years to avoid a steep increase every few years. Mendon officials were pressed to take action after recent notification from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the village's wastewater department was in danger of not being able to sustain itself financially. The USDA provided a loan that helped build the sewage treatment plant.